Terai Flood | August 2017
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NEPAL Terai Flood | August 2017 A REPORT ON THE FOOD SECURITY IMPACT OF THE 2017 FLOOD IN THE TERAI Comprehensive report based on the results of ad hoc District Food Security Network (DFSN) meetings in 15 districts (23-29 August and 9-17 September 2017) Background Heavy monsoon rainfall during 10-13 August 2017 triggered severe flash floods and land- Figure 1: Water level of Ruikhola river at Bankatta. Source: DHM slides in 35 out of 75 districts in Nepal (see Figures 1 and 2). An Initial Rapid Assessment (IRA) conducted in 28 districts revealed that floods and landslides claimed 141 lives, injured 117 persons, displaced 460,900 people, and left 24 missing. Damage to houses, infrastruc- tures, and productive resources was severe; roughly 65,000 houses were completely de- stroyed and 120,100 houses were partially damaged (Nepal Red Cross Society, IRA Compi- lation Report, 20 August 2017). The southern Terai plains were critically affected by the floods and experienced severe hu- manitarian implications in terms of damage to houses, displacement, food security, health and sanitation, access to basic services, and losses in agricultural production. The Ministry of Agricultural Development (MoAD) has estimated 57 million USD in losses of major crops in 30 districts, of which approximately 56.7 million USD in losses occurred in Terai districts. A quick nutrition assessment conducted by the Nutrition Cluster reported high levels of undernutrition (wasting) in the flood-affected Terai districts. NeKSAP undertook a 72-hour assessment of the flood using satellite images, the IRA, sec- ondary data, and field information. The results indicated that Saptari, Rautahat, Mahottari, Bardiya and Banke were the most flood-affected districts, followed by Sarlahi, Siraha, Parsa and Dhanusha (Nepal Terai Flood Update Version 2.0). Figure 2: Rainfall recorded in Bankatta station, Rui Khola*. Source: DHM NeKSAP also undertook a detailed assessment of the flood impacts on food security through ad hoc DFSN meetings in 10 of the worst flood-affected districts (Banke, Bardiya, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Dhanusa, Siraha, Saptari, Sunsari, and Morang) during 23-29 August 2017. Additional assessments were undertaken in 5 districts (Jhapa, Bara, Parsa, Chitwan, and Kailali) during 9-17 September 2017. This report presents the comprehensive results of the ad hoc DFSN meetings. Map 1: Coverage of ad hoc DFSN meetings (23-29 August and 9-17 September 2017) * Warning level for rainfall: 60 mm in 1 hour, 80 mm in 3 hours, 100 mm in 6 hours, 120 mm in hrs, and 140 mm in 24 hours. Source: DHM www.hydrology.gov.np 2 Highlights Based on the post-flood situation, the ad hoc DFSN meetings in 15 Terai districts classified each VDC/municipality as minimally food insecure (Phase 1), moderately food inse- cure (Phase 2), highly food insecure (Phase 3), or severely food insecure (Phase 4). None of the VDCs/municipalities were classified as a humanitarian emergency (Phase 5) situ- ation. DFSNs classified 637 VDCs/municipalities (more than half of 1,041 total VDCs/municipalities) as moderately food insecure (Phase 2) or worse in 15 Terai districts (see Map 2). The breakdown of the DFSN classifications are as follows: 8 VDCs in Saptari were severely food insecure (Phase 4) 256 VDCs were highly food insecure (Phase 3) 373 VDCs and municipalities were moderately food insecure (Phase 2) 404 VDCs and municipalities were minimally food insecure (Phase 1) Refer to Annex 1 for district-wide food security phase maps and affected populations for the 15 Terai districts. DFSNs estimated that roughly 778,000 people were in Phase 3 and 4, and required external assistance to meet food and non-food needs. This is about 40 percent of the total population in the flood-affected areas and 9 percent of the total district population. The next round of DFSN meetings will be held in mid-November. Until then, DFSNs antici- pate an improvement in the food security situation. As forecasted by the DFSNs, none of the VDCs will be classified as severely food insecure (Phase 4) and the number of VDCs likely to be classified as highly food insecure (Phase 3) and moderately food insecure (Phase 2) will decrease to 212 (from 256 currently) and 360 (373 currently) respectively. The latest round of regularly conducted DFSN meetings (held every four months) in July 2017 classified all Terai districts as minimally food insecure, or Phase 1 (see Annex 2). Map 2: NeKSAP Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, August 23-29 and 9-17 September, 2017. Source: DFSN 3 Table 1: Number of VDCs and municipalities in Phases -1 4 and the affected population* Current situation (23-29 Aug. and 9-17 Sept., 2017) Outlook (late Aug./Sept. to mid-November 2017) Total VDCs/ SN Districts No. of No. of No. of Population No. of Population No. of VDCs/ No. of VDCs/ No. of VDCs/ municipalities VDCs/muni. VDCs/muni. VDCs/muni. in Phase 4 VDCs/muni. in Phase 4 muni. in muni. in muni. in in Phase 1 in Phase 2 in Phase 3 in Phase 4 Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 1 Morang 66 43 19 4 23,600 0 Na 43 19 4 2 Sunsari 52 25 18 9 42,000 0 Na 25 18 9 3 Saptari 97 26 47 16 45,600 8 29,700 26 47 24 4 Siraha 70 34 21 15 50,000 0 Na 34 21 15 5 Dhanusa 102 8 66 28 54,200 0 Na 8 66 28 6 Mahottari 77 9 29 39 88,700 0 Na 9 29 39 7 Sarlahi 100 29 31 40 107,700 0 Na 29 56 15 8 Rautahat 96 5 42 49 163,200 0 Na 5 69 22 9 Banke 35 20 5 10 45,300 0 Na 20 5 10 10 Bardiya 32 24 3 5 59,500 0 Na 24 3 5 11 Kailali 44 39 5 0 Na 0 Na 39 5 0 12 Chitwan 38 33 5 0 Na 0 Na 33 5 0 13 Parsa 83 44 22 17 28,800 0 Na 66 0 17 14 Bara 99 32 43 24 39,700 0 Na 75 0 24 15 Jhapa 50 33 17 0 Na 0 Na 33 17 0 Total 1,041 404 373 256 748,300 8 29,700 469 360 212 * Affected population is estimated as the population in Phase 3 and Phase4. Population in Phase 4 – 29,700 Population in Phase 3 — 748,300 Affected population – 778,000 4 Key contributing factors Most of the houses in the affected areas were made of poor structural materials, such as unbaked brick and bamboo, which were not capable of withstanding floods. The 2011 National Population and Housing Census reported that 60-70 percent of houses in Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Siraha, Saptari, Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi and Rautahat, 50-60 percent houses in Bara and Parsa, and 20-40 percent of houses in Kailali, Banke and Bardiya were built with poor structural materials. These houses in particular were de- stroyed and/or damaged due to floods. Wheat, the major winter crop in the Terai, was harvested in April/May. The floods damaged household food stocks, which comprise the major source of food consumption in the Terai. DFSNs reported that, on average, 30-60 percent of the household food stocks were completely lost and/or rotten in most places. The situation was even worse in the 8 VDCs of Saptari classified as Phase 4, where more than 80 percent of households lost their entire food stocks. The next major cereal harvest of paddy will take place in November/December. With food stocks destroyed by floods, affected families are expected to face food consumption gaps. The situation will be even more precarious during the Dashain/Tihar festival (in October), during which food consumption is typically high. Standing crops (paddy and vegetable) and fish ponds have been severely damaged and/or wiped away. MoAD’s latest estimates report crop (including fish) damage of 55.8 million USD, of which 16.2 million USD, 12.4 million USD, and 14.8 million USD in damage is attributed to paddy, vegetable and fish, respectively. Despite the high initial damage to market infrastructures, markets quickly resumed functioning. As of 28 August 2017, 481 markets were fully functioning and 77 markets were recovering. Some 40 VDCs were inaccessible in flood-affected districts, including 16 in Dhanusha, 13 in Mahottari, 6 in Rautahat, 1 in Saptari, and 3 in Banke. However, in the wholesale and Indian border markets, food and non-food commodities were available and prices were stable (Terai Flood Update Version 2.0, NeKSAP, 28 August 2017). DFSNs reported a food price increase of 15-20 percent, largely due to supply chain offsets. Prices of vegetables were reported to have increased by about 5 times because of the large-scale damage caused during the harvesting period. Figure 3: Prevalence of food poverty and wasting. Source: Small area estimate of food insecurity and undernutrition in Nepal, 2014 The nutrition, health and sanitation situation in the post-flood period was reported as poor. The MUAC assessment of 10,257 children be- tween 6-59 months of age undertaken by the Nutrition Cluster in 18 flood-affected districts showed high rates of acute child malnutrition. Average rates of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM), Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) in the flood- affected districts were 6.0 percent, 17.1 percent and 23.1 percent, respectively, while the national averages were 1.8 percent, 7.9 percent and 9.7 percent. The highest GAM rates were observed in Saptari (35.7 percent), Siraha (34.3 percent), Jhapa (33.3 percent), Bara (17.4 per- cent), Dhanusa (16.84 percent), Kailali (16.3 percent), Rautahat (15 percent), and Mahottari (14.7 percent) (Nutrition Cluster and District Public Health Offices).